When to start and how to shave your teenager?

Time is fleeting. Our boys grow up imperceptibly and become young men. The desire to look masculine at this age is quite natural. But the antennae making their way above the upper lip and the immature down on the face do not in any way impart masculinity to the appearance of a young man, there are spontaneous impulses to immediately grab the razor. The expression "everything in good time" fits the first shave of a teenager as well as possible.

In boys aged 13 - 15, an intensive restructuring of all body systems begins: the hormonal background changes, the voice coarsens, and vegetation appears on the face. The body is intensively preparing for the gradual transformation of a young man into an adult man. Most teenagers want to get rid of annoying facial hair without fail, and it can be difficult for parents to keep them from shaving prematurely.

The hair of the sprouting mustache begins to coarse and darken by about 16 years. For each person, this process occurs individually and at a different speed. General health, skin type, and genetic factors are affected.

There are recommendations from cosmetologists and dermatologists when a teenager can start shaving. The main rule is not to rush. There is no fixed age suitable for absolutely everyone, but there are many reasonable arguments from experts why it is impossible to shave off the hair that is just starting to grow from the face:

• the sensitive skin of adolescents is easily irritated by the sharp blades of the tool, which can provoke long-term problems with the skin of the face;
• teenage acne and pimples, at the slightest mistake, are cut off during early shaving, which is accompanied by active bleeding, infection of wounds is possible and further aggravation of skin problems;
• weak follicles of the first antennae are easily damaged, there is a danger of new hairs growing from such follicles into the epidermis of the skin, and when the time comes for regular shaving, skin problems will arise.

These are enough arguments for parents to try to convey them to their maturing children. The optimal age to start shaving, strongly recommended by cosmetologists and doctors, is 18 years. By this time, the young man's skin coarsens and easily tolerates the mechanical impact of the razor (with the use of caring cosmetics).

How often you shave depends on how quickly the young man's facial hair grows. The growth rate varies greatly from person to person. For some adolescents, it is enough to shave once a month; young people with other characteristics shave much more often. There are those who have to shave almost every day. It must be remembered that the frequency of the procedure directly affects the rate of hair growth: the more often you shave, the faster the hair grows.

The quality of the shave is directly related to the quality of the tool. Here are the most important tips from doctors and cosmetologists on choosing shaving devices for teenagers without experience.

• Between the machine and the electric shaver, experts recommend opting for a quality machine. There is no soothing strip on the electric shaver, and in the design of almost all machines it is provided. In addition, there is a high probability that an inexperienced teenager will not be able to maintain the correct angle of inclination of the electric shaver and may cut himself.
• It is better to buy a reusable machine, rather than a disposable one. Such machines glide better along the contours of the face, and soothing strips are available on absolutely all reusable machines (some models of disposable machines are produced without them). In case of an accidental cut, the protective strip will disinfect the wound, and an allergic reaction will not happen.
• You need to buy products from well-known brands with a proven reputation, for example, Gillette. They are not cheap, but high-quality sharpening of the blades, a long service life, and comfortable ergonomics justify a rather high price. For a teenager, a device with three blades is sufficient.

It is best for a teenager to have their first shave under the supervision of their father. This is a great psychological help for a worried boy, and if the advice of an experienced adult man is needed, a teenager will receive an answer to the question that has arisen at any time.

Before starting the procedure, everything should be ready:

• Shaver;
• cosmetics of trusted brands, for example, Gillette or Nivea (foam cream, lotion);
• dry cotton napkin.

As an example, we can recommend the following sequence of actions of a young man:

• lay out accessories in an easily accessible place ("at hand");
• prepare an antiseptic solution and pieces of cotton wool to handle an accidental cut;
• stand in front of a mirror and open the water mixer slightly to a weakly flowing stream of water;
• apply a little cream-gel on the palm and evenly rub the product over the area of ​​the face that you plan to shave, then slightly moisten your hand and massage your face in the shaving area until foam appears, wait 1 - 2 minutes;
• take a shaving device and gently, without pressure, shave off the hairs, remembering to rinse the dirty tool under running water; with extreme caution, with vertical movements, shave the areas under the nose and lower lip, make a minimum of movements and do not try to scrape thoroughly;
• wash off the remnants of the gel with cool water and carefully wipe the skin with a cotton cloth;
• wipe your face with a special protective lotion, the unpleasant tingling sensations from the lotion will stop after 1 - 2 minutes.

It should be noted that the facial skin care products used by adult men in the family are intended for rough skin and will not work for the delicate skin of a young man. You should not use cologne, the alcohol fraction increases the dryness of the skin. There are special gels, balms and lotions for various types of teenage skin that contain protective ingredients against acne and acne.

Many adolescents categorically refuse to wait until the age of 18, when the hairs on the face become coarser, and it will be possible to shave regularly “for real” without fear. Not everyone listens to the explanations of parents about the dangers of early shaving and uncontrollably grab the razor when there is practically no mustache. Thin protruding hairs deliver tangible psychological discomfort to a teenager and corny interfere with him.

In such a situation, it will be correct to resort to methods of removing annoying vegetation without shaving. You can just pluck the hairs with tweezers, but this procedure is not pleasant. Let's talk about more gentle hair removal methods.

• Cosmetic depilatory creams act on the structure of the hair follicle and "pierce" it without damaging the delicate areas of the skin.
• Weaker cosmetic formulations break down the hairs, and they seem to fall off without affecting the follicles.
• Special wax plates are an effective method, but you have to endure, as the procedure is quite painful and not suitable for everyone.
• Folk remedy - baking soda solution. Pour 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of boiling water, stir and leave the solution to cool until warm. Immerse a cotton swab in the solution, remove and attach to the hairs. Fix the lotion with a plaster and leave overnight, do it 3-4 times. After such lotions, the light fluff will disappear.

All methods are effective, but still the same problem - adolescents do not always agree to cosmetic procedures and insist on early shaving, considering themselves old enough. Parents need to show maximum patience and tact in order to protect their son from a rash act. Shaving early in the future will entail significant difficulties and problems with the skin of the face.

The first shave is essentially a simple procedure. Teenagers have seen their father or older brother shave more than once, so they have a pretty good idea of ​​what shaving technique is.

For tips on how to shave properly, see the following video.